NESO stages protests across Northeast demanding withdrawal of AFSPA
The protests were carried out in all state capital cities of the seven sister states in light of the firing incident at Oting village in Nagaland's Mon district in which 14 civilians and a soldier were killed during an anti-insurgency operation by the troops of Assam Rifles on December 4.
GUWAHATI:
Northeast Students' Organisation (NESO) activists, on December 9, staged a protest at the Dighalipukhuripar area of Guwahati demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
The protests were carried out in all state capital cities of the seven sister states in light of the firing incident at Oting village in Nagaland's Mon district in which 14 civilians and a soldier were killed during an anti-insurgency operation by the troops of Assam Rifles on December 4.
In Guwahati, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) has organized the protest in which several hundreds of leaders of various student organizations of Northeast took part.
The protestors shouted slogans in support of their various demands like: “AASU stands with Nagas of Mon district,” “Assam stands with Nagas”, “Punish those who were involved in the killing of innocent villagers of Oting village in Nagaland,” “Stop neglecting Northeast,” “We want peace in Northeast”, “Stop killing innocent people,” and “Repeal AFSPA”.
AASU chief advisor Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharyya, president Dipanka Kumar Nath and general secretary Shankar Prasad Roy were among the top student leaders who took part in the protest.
In a statement, Nath said that due to the AFSPA, the armed forces have been operating in NE with impunity.
“The Union g has not only refused to repeal AFSPA but decided to continue the imposition of this draconian act even though there has been massive people’s movement for the repeal of this Act,” he said.
Meanwhile, a memorandum has also been sent to the President of India by the student body for repeal of AFSPA from the Northeast.
Naga Students Federation Guwahati (NSFG) president Jevi Kinwi Hesqo, Naga Christian Fellowship, Guwahati (NCFG) pastor Peter Thong, President of All Arunachal Pradesh Student Union (AAPSU)’s Guwahati unit president Rajesh Riang, Tripura Students Federation Guwahati (TSFG) president Michal Dev Verma, general secretary Sushenjit Dev Verma, Eastern Naga Students Federation (ENSF) president Bangli Phom and representatives of several other student organisations joined the protest.
Similar protests were carried out in all state capital cities of the Northeast on December 9.
In Nagaland, NSF staged a protest in Kohima, Garo Students Union (GSU) in Shillong, Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) in Aizwal, All Manipuri Students Union (AMSU) in Imphal, All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) in Itanagar and TSF staged a protest in Agartala in support of their demand for AFSPA from the region.
In a statement here, the NESO condemned the incident which resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians in the Mon district of Nagaland.
"The armed forces have been operating in NE with impunity and they are further emboldened with the imposition of a draconian law AFSPA in which the Union government has not only refused to repeal but decided to continue the imposition of this draconian act even though there has been massive peoples movement for the repeal of this Act," the statement said.
The NESO represents eight student bodies from across the northeastern states, namely - Garo Students’ Union (GSU), All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF), All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and Naga Students' Federation.
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